We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
CHAPTER XXVIII 113 12. In the same way any synopsis can be got down to length by taking out parts or rewriting them to get the same expression in fewer words. Writing to approximate length is something that every news- paper man soon learns. He can give the bare facts or elaborate as the city editor requires, and after this elaboration the story can again be cut down by the copy reader. It requires no especial gift, but is more in the nature of a trick that anyone can master if he will try. It is absurd to say that you cannot get your synopsis down to any set length. You can unless you are too lazy. 13. If you will remember that your story has—or should have—one great essential point that will sell it, and if you will put this one fact forward then the rest does not matter so long as it is well written and informative. All that you require of the synopsis is to induce the Edi- tor to read the full script. If you can make the synopsis attractive and the story is in line with what he wants, he will read the action, and read it carefully, but he cannot read the action of all stories that come in, and a note to the effect that the story is such that it cannot be told in synopsis and that the full action must be read will be worse than neither synopsis nor note. Absence of anything may argue only ignorance. The note shows stupidity. The Editor knows that the story can be told in synopsis if there is anytliing to tell, and a note such as this will merely advertise your incompetence. It is matched by the occasional suggestion that the story needs no synopsis "as the action is so clear." The synopsis is not to explain what the action does not tell. It is to explain what the action does tell. 14. Sometimes it is a good plan to start your synopsis with a claim for novelty and the fact upon which you base this claim as a story that might start in with: This is a new treatment of an old theme. The hero rescues the daughter of Mammon from a watery grave, but he doesn't marry her. Not a bit of it! To the contrary she offers him her heart and millions and he prefers Mamie Lee. This would be more apt to attract attention than a story of this in regular synopsis form. The Editor is looking for novelty. Tell him you have it. Prove it to him. The rest is in the lap of the gods. 15. It will be noted that these examples are all in the present tense. He "does" a thing. There is no objection to writing the^ syriopsis in the past tense, but since the action must be written in the present tense, because it is something that is being done at the moment, the adoption of the same tense is to be preferred. To some slight degree it may also make the story appear more up to date. "John did" is less recent than "John does." 16. In the physical appearance of the synopsis there is less diversity of opinion than on other points. It is for this reason that but a sin- gle example of synopsis is given in the Appendix at A-1. The only question is one of spacing. Some editors prefer double spacing and others single spacing. Double spacing is more easily read, yet the